


What Happened on Thursday

by lol_hobi



Category: Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Ambiguous sexuality, Bullying, Coming Out, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, M/M, Sexuality Crisis, Wooseok is the leader of the protecc yuto squad, its cute i swear, they're assholes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 00:21:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21065639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lol_hobi/pseuds/lol_hobi
Summary: Yuto and Wooseok are mortal enemies (but they're always in the crowd at each other's games)-enemies to lovers wooyu au





	What Happened on Thursday

**Author's Note:**

> i stan enemies to lovers shit, but i haven't written much of it, so it's about time
> 
> forewarning, i do use the word f*g in this fic, trust me i hated writing it, but it's meant to hurt, im sorry

“Hey fuckface, how’s it hanging? Ready to be the biggest disappointment in the whole school tonight? I can’t imagine you and your meathead team can do much more than trip all over each other on that field.” Wooseok sneered, slamming a hand into the faded green lockers at the side of Yuto’s head. The other boy only rolled his eyes and stepped away, shooting Wooseok a look of sharpened daggers as he swung his backpack onto his shoulder.

“Oh, and I assume you think splashing around in that public cesspool is something to be proud of?” Yuto chuckled. Wooseok had a few of his teammates lingering behind him and he hushed them at the insult. “Infants can swim before they even know how to speak, come talk to me when you’ve done anything worth wasting my time for.” Yuto offered a tight-lipped smile and spun on his heel, stalking away as Changgu and Hyunggu starting bashing on the soccer team. Wooseok sighed and turned towards his own locker, already thinking of the insults he could sling when he saw Yuto between fifth and sixth period.

He wasn’t exactly sure when it had started, maybe in middle school when they’d first started prioritizing sports, maybe freshman year when Yuto had spilled water in Wooseok’s backpack on purpose (on accident), but it was engrained in them now, only months away from graduation. They hated each other, and they insulted each other every chance they could. It was the only way they knew how to function now, it was habit, it was _expected_.

“Are you going to the game?” Changgu wondered idly and Wooseok snorted.

“_Of course_ I am.” Wooseok went to every soccer game, it’s what everyone did on Thursday nights. It wasn’t like the entire swim team had to hate their entire soccer team either, they actually got along quite well when they banded together to hate the lacrosse team. It was just Wooseok and Yuto who had a feud. The team captains. Everyone else just followed along. “I want to destroy some concession stand nachos.”

“Okay, we’re painting our hair tonight. I have pom-poms and signs too.” Jinho hummed, gathering his books as the hallways began to empty. They waved each other away, promising to see each other at lunch before heading to class.

It was weird, yes. That there could be such a vehement feud between groups of friends, yet such a passionate support for school spirit that still stood strong. They knew it looked weird, to rag on each other in person and still show up to each other’s games and meets. But that didn’t matter. It was just what they did.

“Should I make a sign for you for tonight?” Hwitaek asked when Wooseok sat down in his history class. The older boy was one of the only members of the soccer team that Wooseok genuinely got along with, but they weren’t much more than acquaintances. “Something that maybe says… _Adachi Yuto, will you go to prom with me?_”

“What the hell?” Wooseok sneered, crossing his arms. “Why the fuck would I ever?”

“You seem a little bit… attached.” Hwitaek waggled his brows and Wooseok clenched his fists.

“He’s a fucking moron, hyung. And I’m not gay, so you’re twice as stupid.” Hwitaek rolled his eyes as the teacher began their class, not taking any offense to the young boy’s defense. He’d seen both Yuto and Wooseok grow and blossom and fall into a cycle of annoying, brutal, damaging bullying. He’d gotten used to it over the past few years, but they were getting closer and closer to graduation and he didn’t want this feud to live on past high school. It was juvenile, and he knew the both of them could be so much happier if they let it go.

-

Yuto felt cold, sharp embarrassment shoot through his body as he caught a table of younger students looking at him when he entered the lunch room. They’d been whispering obviously and dispersed only when Yuto caught them, it felt all kinds of awful to think they were talking about him. He knew he had it well, that he was popular and attractive and favored by teachers, but there was always a festering insecurity that bubbled in his core. He couldn’t shake the rotten feeling as he found his teammates at their usual table. Shinwon and Yanan were fighting over a tray of French fries while Hwitaek and Hongseok spoke softly to each other, crouched over the elder’s phone intensely. None of them acknowledged Yuto until the youngest cleared his throat for the third time.

“Oh, Yuto-yah, look at this-“

“What’s going on?” Yuto demanded and all four boys looked up curiously.

“This dog is so little, look-“

“No, this,” Yuto waved around him, catching another handful of eyes watching him before they were startled away. Hwitaek sat up and Yanan raised a brow, the entire group looking around. There was a hush over the cafeteria, eyes trained on them more than usual and none of them seemed like giddy girl crushes this time. They were waiting, whispering, tense and heavy and _uncomfortable_. “Did something happen?”

“I don’t think so.” Hongseok whispered, standing up and putting a hand on Yuto’s arm. The buzz of conversation slowly seeped back into the cafeteria as he ushered Yuto to sit down. He could tell the young boy was spiraling, he was wringing his hands, his eyes were wide and frantic, he gnawed his bottom lip until it was a painful, vibrant red.

“Yuto-yah, it’s okay, don’t worry about.” Hwitaek hummed softly. Yuto nodded and tried to let it go, but the air was heavy, and it wouldn’t let up. He couldn’t listen to his friends, he couldn’t focus on their jokes, all he could think about was the burning of eyes on the back of his head.

“Can we help you?” Yanan sneered as a shadow loomed over Yuto. There wasn’t an answer immediately, so Yuto turned to see who was daring to bother them. He looked up just in time to see the flimsy foam cafeteria tray in front of his face before the sloppy, wet food met his face and chest. Yuto gasped and shot out of his seat as the disgusting mess covered his front, reaching blindly to shove the guy who’d targeted him.

“What the fuck?” He shouted as soft laughter bubbled up around him.

“What’s the problem, _queer_?” The unfamiliar voice shot and Yuto wiped mashed potatoes from his eyes to see the scummy loser.

“What?” Yuto hissed and the boy laughed, Yuto’s entire body flaming with red hot embarrassment.

“I called you _queer_. Would you prefer fag? Homo? I think it’s clear, gay-lord.” Yuto saw nothing but red as he shoved the boy to the ground, taking a single second to compose himself before he stormed out of the cafeteria, still trying to wipe the remnants of lunch off his face. The tears helped a little bit, clearing his eyes as he locked himself in the closest private bathroom. He’d never been so thankful for the school’s few staff bathrooms. He’d take the detention over speaking to anyone right now.

Yuto braced himself on the sink as he began to hyperventilate, his chest aching as he fought for oxygen. _Queer. _His skin was burning, his limbs felt weak and shaky, everything was wrong. _Fag_. He wanted to die. _Homo. _He wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. _Gay_. He wanted to disappear into thin air, never come back, never look another human being in the face.

“Yuto-yah?” A soft voice cooed on the other side of the door and Yuto covered his mouth to silence the pained sob that was fighting to escape. “Are you okay? The guy’s in the principal’s office, but they want to talk to you too.” Hwitaek was trying to tread lightly, but if they were going to get this guy suspended – or expelled, Hwitaek’s uncle was the vice principal – they would need a statement from Yuto.

“Give me a minute.” Yuto managed, the tears obvious in his tone and he heard Hwitaek whine. He hated making his friends worry about him, he didn’t like to be the center of attention like this, but he couldn’t stop crying and he wasn’t going anywhere until he got himself under control.

It took Yuto fifteen more minutes to pull himself together, to peel himself off the ground, to wipe himself clean. He took a deep breath and started down the hallway alone, holding his chin high as strode into the principal’s office. He had numbed himself up, shut himself down, stuffed the pain down deep and sucked it up. Because that’s what he had to do.

He continued like that throughout the rest of the day, quiet and reserved and shut off. He didn’t even respond when Wooseok tried to speak to him, didn’t even stop to make eye contact with the insufferable boy. He ran through practice without saying a word, changing quickly in the corner of the locker room and leaving as fast as possible. He didn’t even look in the crowd as they played, didn’t try to read the signs that people made for them, didn’t see who was cheering for him and his team. He didn’t care anymore. He couldn’t afford to.

Not when all his work from the past few years had come crashing down in single moment.

Sure, it was just some kid trying to spread rumors. But one rumor was enough for everyone to start questioning him. He could feel the looming scrutiny, the lingering gazes on him, everyone studying him as if they could prove the rumors true. Because they were.

But no one could know that.

Yuto didn’t get out of bed the next day.

-

“Where’s Yuto?” Wooseok wondered, sitting at his desk with nervous energy in his fingers. Yuto had been acting strange at the end of the day and while he’d played just fine during the game last night, he hadn’t stayed to celebrate their win like a lot of students did. Something was off.

“Not here today.” Hwitaek winced as he spoke and Wooseok raised a brow. “What? I wouldn’t expect him to come after… _that_. I think he could use a day off.”

“After _what?_ What happened? Is he okay?” Wooseok had clearly missed something.

“After what happened at lunch. Did you somehow miss that? Were you under a rock?” Hwitaek scoffed and Wooseok slumped in his seat, feeling bad for something even though he had no idea what.

“I was meeting with my chem teacher. I wasn’t at lunch.”

“Oh…” Hwitaek spent the period sneakily telling Wooseok about the incident through notes and whispers, Wooseok growing more and more concerned with every word. He loved teasing Yuto, he lived to mess with him, but that… that was crossing a line. That was just hurtful, brutal, _undeserved_. Wooseok had a burning urge to make sure Yuto was okay.

“I think he just needs the weekend to get over it, he should be back Monday.” Hwitaek hummed at the end of class as they piled up their books. “Just, maybe…”

“I’m not gonna do anything to him.” Wooseok promised. “He doesn’t deserve that.”

“Thank you, Wooseokie. See you later.”

Wooseok wouldn’t deny that Yuto lingered in the back of his mind all weekend. He was always busy, had practices and parties and hangouts to attend, but they weren’t enough to distract him from the incident. By the time Monday came back around, Wooseok was burning to see Yuto.

Wooseok waited by the soccer captain’s locker in the morning, searched for him at lunch, waited for him between fifth and sixth period, but Yuto wasn’t there. His friends seemed to be getting along just fine without him, but Wooseok felt his absence like a nagging bruise. He couldn’t help but think about all the shitty things he’d said to the boy, how many times he himself had tossed the _gay_ insult at him. This must have hurt Yuto more than they knew, and if he was actually gay… Wooseok felt all kinds of awful.

When Tuesday morning came with no sign of the soccer player, Wooseok couldn’t keep himself calm anymore.

“Can I have Yuto’s address?” Wooseok whispered during history. Hwitaek just shot him a weird look. “Look, I’m just worried. I need to make sure he’s okay.”

“He’s okay. He texted me this morning, said he has a cold.” Wooseok gave the older boy an incredulous look and Hwitaek sighed. “Listen, we’ve asked to visit him. He doesn’t want to see anyone.”

“Let me at least try?” Wooseok practically begged and Hwitaek took a second to think before giving in and scrawling the address on a stray piece of paper. The second the last bell of the day rang, Wooseok found one of his teammates to let them know he wouldn’t be at practice and practically ran to his shitty old car. He followed the directions to the address carefully, his hands shaking and sweating as he grew closer and closer. What was he doing? He and Yuto weren’t friends, he’d never been to Yuto’s house before… this was just weird, right?

Before Wooseok could change his mind, he was pulling into the driveway of an adorable little house, tucked away in some trees just blocks away from the school. The place was so cozy looking and Wooseok could feel Yuto’s familiar energy. It felt right.

Wooseok rocked on his toes nervously after he knocked on the door, looking at the immaculate landscaping in the tiny front garden. Wooseok had just started wondering what Yuto’s parents were like when the front door swung open.

The second Yuto’s eyes met Wooseok’s, his face fell into a confused frown.

“What the hell do _you_ want, asshole?” Yuto sneered and Wooseok was taken aback. He’d spent so many days worrying about Yuto, he’d kind of forgotten just how much the kid could get on his nerves. This was a mistake.

“Well, shit.” Wooseok laughed humorlessly. “I came here to be _nice_ and _sincere_, but fuck you, I guess. _God_.” Wooseok rolled his eyes and turned away, shaking his head as he started back towards his car.

“Wait!” Wooseok clenched his teeth, but he stopped walking, his back still turned to Yuto stubbornly. “I’m… sorry. I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Hell of a greeting.” Wooseok snapped, turning towards the soccer captain again.

Yuto rolled his eyes and leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. “Can you blame me? I don’t recall _ever_ having a civilized conversation with you.” The felt like a jab and Wooseok winced, taking a second to look at his shoes and collect himself before he started walking back up towards the house.

“Yeah. I’m… I’m sorry.” Wooseok hummed. He looked up just in time to catch the stunned look on Yuto’s face. “I’m sorry about everything.”

“Holy shit.” Yuto looked incredulous and Wooseok felt like absolute shit. They were face to face now, Wooseok looking down just slightly to meet Yuto’s eyes as he gaped up at him. “I never thought I’d hear those words from your mouth.” Wooseok just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, standing his ground until he got a better reaction. Yuto was an ass to him too. “Why?” Yuto demanded, eyes squinted suspiciously.

“Because… I don’t know, dude!” Wooseok didn’t really do heartfelt apologies, he felt a little bit lost. “I’ve been worried about you and it made me think about all the shitty things I’ve ever said to you and that… I never meant them. And I’m really sorry.”

“Did you put that kid up to that? The thing on Thursday?” Yuto hissed and Wooseok looked at him in shock.

“What? Of course not! I would never do something like that, that was… fucking _awful_. You don’t deserve that, dude. No matter how much we… disagree. I didn’t even know about it until Hui hyung told me that next day. But I _am_ sorry that happened either way, that’s not cool.” Yuto was watching Wooseok with suspicious eyes and it was making the younger boy squirm. He thought he would apologize and Yuto would be grateful and everything would be back to normal. He didn’t expect Yuto to be so fucking _stubborn_.

“I’ll get over it.” Yuto decided, standing up straight and reaching towards the door. “That all?”

Wooseok furrowed his brows and stepped forward, his foot in the way of the door when Yuto tried to close it. “Dude.” He scoffed incredulously.

“What?” Yuto was getting angry now and Wooseok didn’t know how to make it better. He wanted so badly to make it better.

“You’ve missed three days of school. That’s not like you. I know that you’re not okay, and I can tell you don’t have a cold. I just… are you okay? Really okay?” Wooseok’s voice was calm and soft, but Yuto only seemed to be getting angrier.

“Why the fuck do you care, Jung? I don’t need your pity, or whatever the fuck _this_ is, you’re not my friend, we don’t care about each other, remember? Fuck off.” Yuto tried, but his fury seemed to break and Wooseok caught a single second of hurt on the boy’s face. It made Wooseok’s heart ache.

“Maybe I _do_ care about you! Why aren’t we friends, Yuto? You know our friends are friends? Clearly, we have stuff in common. We were friends in middle school, right?”

“Barely.”

“Can’t we change that? I’m sick of this animosity, dude. Isn’t it exhausting? I know it doesn’t feel good, I can’t imagine you like it.” Wooseok wasn’t sure where this had been hiding inside of him, but he was realizing as he said it just how _true_ it was. He was tired of all this. Something needed to change. Wooseok watched as Yuto slowly but surely seemed to realize that same thing. His façade cracked just enough for Wooseok to finally see something genuine in Yuto’s eyes.

“I…” Yuto sighed, pursing his lips and letting go of the door, letting it swing open a little more. “Do you… want to come in? I mean, it’s cold.” Wooseok smiled softly as he nodded, stepping into the warm house as Yuto closed the door. Wooseok spent a second looking around at the family photos that littered every surface in the foyer, wide smiles and friendly faces in each of them. He never saw Yuto smile like that. “I guess I’m tired of it, too.” Yuto hummed, wrapping his arms around his middle as Wooseok kicked his shoes off. “You can wear those slippers if you want.” Wooseok slipped on a pair of Yuto’s slippers and followed the boy further into the house, still looking around like a lost puppy. He wasn’t sure why he was so fascinated, but if he was going to be Yuto’s friend, he should know more about him. “I’m sorry, too.” Yuto sighed, stopping in the middle of the living room. Wooseok could tell he was nervous, he was fidgeting and pacing, but Wooseok felt like he could learn to be comfortable with Yuto. He decided to sit on the couch and make himself comfortable so Yuto didn’t feel any more awkward. “I’m not blameless, obviously.”

“Truce?” Wooseok held out his hand and Yuto bit his lip, looking wearily at Wooseok like he was reluctant to bury their axe. Wooseok just laughed and wiggled his hand until Yuto gave in, shaking it hesitantly.

“Feels weird.” Yuto admitted, crossing his arms again. He was still standing up, rocking back and forth and Wooseok raised a brow. “I’m so used to thinking about insults, I’m not… it’s just weird.”

“That’s okay. It can be weird for a while.” Wooseok shrugged, leaning back against the couch. “It would help if you sat down. You’re like a ball of nervous energy, it’s off-putting.”

“Fuck you.” Yuto snorted automatically and Wooseok grinned, watching as Yuto ducked his head sheepishly. “Sorry. You’re right.” Yuto sunk onto the couch at his side and tucked his legs up underneath him comfortably, pulling his black sweatshirt sleeves over his fists. “I, um… well… thank you. For coming here. For apologizing. It kind of felt like the right time to _stop_, you know?”

“Yeah, I know. I’m really sorry about what happened-“

“Let’s not talk about it, okay? I’ve thought about it enough, I’ve talked about it enough, I’m kind of just… over it.” Yuto forced a smile and Wooseok nodded, wringing his hands in his lap. “I came out to my parents, so it’s not like it’s a big deal anymore anyway.” Yuto forced the words out before he lost the courage, watching Wooseok’s face to catch every facet of his reaction. He was planning on coming out to his friends when he went back to school the next day anyway, Wooseok was a good start. He mostly just found confusion on the boy’s face.

“Came out? Oh, so you’re actually… um…” Wooseok fidgeted and Yuto snickered, the first bit of genuine laughter he’d had in days.

“Gay? Yeah. You can say it, it’s not gonna hurt you.” Yuto chuckled more as Wooseok forced himself to look cool about it. Something about him trying to look understanding was just too funny. “You don’t have to be excited about it or anything, I’m not worried about your reaction.” Yuto laughed as Wooseok smiled nervously, reaching over to slap the younger’s arm. “And don’t worry, it doesn’t mean I’m attracted to everything with a penis. I’m not a predator.”

“I don’t think you’re a predator.” Wooseok defended. “That’s just a ridiculous homophobic stereotype, I’m not worried about that.”

“Hmm. Then what _are _you worried about? You don’t look happy.” Yuto was observant, so if Wooseok wanted to be his friend, he’d have to get used to it.

“Well, I guess… I’m worried about things like Thursday happening again… I mean, I want you to feel safe coming out and I’m worried that our school is… _shitty_.” Wooseok sighed, at a loss for a better term. Yuto looked at him softly, an expression that had never been pointed towards Wooseok before, and it felt almost _nice_. Maybe they were meant to be friends.

“I appreciate the worry. I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little scared too, but… if my friends know, then they can help me out, too. I’m not afraid to fight back next time.” Yuto had given it all a _lot_ of thought in the last five days. He was prepared for whatever the school was going to bring at him, and he’d even sat down with his parents to research hate crime laws. There was very little legislation to protect gay kids, but they had a few routes they could pursue if anything got too bad. His parents were prepared to fight with him.

“Are you worried about your friends?” Wooseok wondered. He was just _curious_. Yuto seemed so strong, so ready, so powerful. Wooseok wanted to know how.

“No. They’ve always been understanding and none of them are blatantly homophobic, so… I have high hopes.” Yuto spoke calmly, watching the gears turning in Wooseok’s brain curiously. It was surprisingly easy to talk to him.

“Well… I won’t let anyone try to hurt you, or anything.” Wooseok decided, squaring his shoulders confidently. “You have the swim team to back you up too.”

“Let me tell them, though, okay?” Yuto pressed and Wooseok nodded eagerly. “I can tell everyone before school starts so, by the end of the day… well, hopefully nothing happens.” Yuto forced a smile, but he couldn’t deny that he was a little bit worried. They lived in a judgmental society and went to an even more discriminative school, Yuto knew he wouldn’t have an easy time, but it was just a few more months before he’d be gone anyway. At least he would hold the record as the _only_ out gay kid in the school.

“Nothing’s going to happen. We’ll make sure of that.” Wooseok promised.

“Thank you.”

Wooseok let the conversation go in case it was making Yuto worry even more, turning to ask about his family in the pictures, about the little decorations here and there, about the collection of anime dvds that climbed high up one side of the bookshelf. Yuto led him around the little house slowly as they began to learn about each other outside of sports and shitty insults. By the time they reached Yuto’s bedroom, the last in the hallway, Wooseok was comfortable enough to wander around and ask about every little detail, every poster, every book and movie and trinket in the room. A part of him had always known they’d get along.

“Are you watching this for the first time?” Wooseok chirped, pointing at Yuto’s open laptop on his bed, an episode of one of Wooseok’s favorite animes paused on the screen.

“No, I keep watching it over and over.” Yuto admitted, his cheeks turning pink. “It’s one of my favorites.”

“No way! Me too! Dude, I love this episode.” Wooseok laid him across Yuto’s bed and hit play, catching the way Yuto’s eyes lit up fondly. They maneuvered themselves to sit against his headboard as they watched the rest of the episode, habitually hitting _next episode_ when it ended… and three more times after that. They only really realized how long they’d been watching when Yuto’s mother got home from work and peeked her head into her son’s room.

“Oh, mom, this is Wooseok.” Yuto introduced slowly in Korean, Wooseok only then realizing that his parents probably only spoke Japanese in the house. He should brush up on his Japanese if he was going to crash their house like this more often.

“It’s nice to meet you Wooseok. Would you like to stay for dinner? We’d love to have you.” Her voice was soft and sweet and Wooseok looked at Yuto to make sure he wasn’t overstaying his welcome. Yuto only nodded with a soft smile on his lips.

“Yes, please, if you don’t mind.” Wooseok offered in the best Japanese he could manage – he studied it sometimes, but it hardly ever stuck. Yuto’s mother grinned fondly and headed towards the kitchen, humming softly as she went. Wooseok winced when he looked at Yuto, the older boy looked at him with a hand covering his amused grin. “What? Did I say something wrong?” Wooseok immediately thought over the phrases again and again, trying to find what error he’d made and hoping he hadn’t embarrassed himself.

“No, it was good. I didn’t know you spoke Japanese.” Yuto seemed tickled by the idea and it made Wooseok blush.

“I don’t. I practice sometimes, but it just doesn’t stick when I don’t ever use it.” Wooseok scratched his neck and Yuto pursed his lips, tilting his head in thought.

“I mean, if you _want_ to learn, I can help you. My family always speaks Japanese at home, it could help you get used to it. If you… I mean… I’m not saying you have to come over and like hangout all the time, it’s whatever, but if you_ did_…” Yuto forced himself to stop talking before he embarrassed himself further.

“I’d like that.” Wooseok decided and Yuto nodded excitedly, hiding his smile again as he got up off the bed. They helped Yuto’s mom cook dinner – they mostly just got in her way, but she was happy to see her son smiling again, so she didn’t shoo them out – and Wooseok greeted Yuto’s father and sister in shaky Japanese when they got home too. Yuto’s family was kind and welcoming and even funny as they joked about their days and their coworkers and the strangers they met on the street. Wooseok could clearly see where Yuto got his wonderful smile and he felt more at home at that dinner table than he did in any of his other friends’ homes. He suddenly regretted all those wasted years, how much time they’d spent hating each other.

“I’m sorry, again.” Wooseok spoke softly as Yuto walked him to the door after dinner, bellies full as the sun began to set.

“For what?”

“For everything. We… we wasted a lot of time hurting each other. I’m sorry.”

Yuto offered a smile and rocked on his toes. “I’m sorry, too. Really. I’m glad… I’m glad we can be friends now.”

“Me too.” Wooseok beamed. “See you tomorrow?” He tried not to sound too hopeful, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to go another day without Yuto at school. It was too weird.

“Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow. And whatever happens, happens.” Yuto took a deep breath to puff his chest and Wooseok laughed, tugging Yuto in for a hug before he could talk himself out of it.

“It’ll be okay. We’re not gonna let anything happen to you.”

\- 

“Okay, what the fuck is going on?” Jinho’s sweet voice demanded and everyone in the group winced simultaneously. That morning had been warm enough for them to spend their extra time before class on the front steps of the school, members of the soccer team and swim team mingling calmly.

“Jinho hyung!” Hyunggu gasped, appalled by the elder’s words. Jinho was always the sweetest of them all.

“Am I the only one who’s confused here? It’s been ten minutes and Wooseok and Yuto are just… talking? Normally? Like human beings?” Jinho pointed at the pair who were huddled over an old Japanese textbook, looking up like confused puppies when the group fell silent.

“What?” Wooseok wondered, looking around to see if they’d missed something.

“Are you guys, like… friends?” Hongseok sneered, leaning back on the stairs. Seven pairs of eyes were watching them curiously and Yuto closed the book, handing it to Wooseok as he stood up. Everyone sat up straight, the atmosphere suddenly heavy. They watched as Yuto tucked his hands in his pockets nervously, gathering his courage to speak.

“Uh, first of all, Wooseok and I talked and made up and we’re, like, friends. Or whatever. So that's that.” Yuto started, taking a deep breath and ignoring the strange looks from his friends. “But, more importantly… I know you all know about what happened on Thursday and I appreciate you all worrying about me, so… it’s important to me that you guys know that I _am_ gay. And… I guess I’m just coming out all at once now, I hope that doesn’t bother you, I mean I don’t really care cause it’s who I am, but anyway… I want you guys to be prepared for more stuff like that. Cause, you know… this school sucks. Or whatever.” Yuto rocked on his toes nervously, him and Wooseok both scanning their friends for any negative reactions. They all seemed frozen as they processed his words.

“You and Wooseok just made up? Out of nowhere?” Changgu wondered and Yuto rolled his eyes.

“_That’s_ what you’re worried about?” Yuto chuckled.

“Well, yeah, who cares if you’re gay? That doesn’t matter. But you’ve been mortal enemies with Wooseok for years!” Shinwon shouted.

“How did you even bury that axe?” Yanan griped and Yuto rolled his eyes.

“Okay, not to make a big deal about it or anything, but I expected you to be a little more concerned with my being _gay_. I like guys. That doesn’t matter to you?” Yuto was beyond confused and his friends just rolled their eyes.

“Of course, that doesn’t matter.” Hwitaek chuckled.

“Do you need us to applaud you?” Hyunggu wondered and Yuto rolled his eyes _again_, moving to sit back down next to Wooseok. He waved his friends away lazily as they continued to scrutinize the pair, Wooseok shooting lazy insults back at them until they eventually settled down. That had gone entirely too well for how much Yuto had worried about it and he couldn’t help but feel extra lucky to have the friends that he did.

And Wooseok’s promises hadn’t been empty. No matter where Yuto went, or what class he was in, there was a member of either the soccer team or the swim team at his side, a few of them accompanying him at the same more often than not. They played it off that they were just interested in being closer friends, but Yuto could tell that Wooseok had something to do with this. He had to admit that it helped him feel much safer when he caught the judgmental glares across the room. Word spread fast, it didn’t matter who started it, and having some extra friends around him seemed to keep the homophobic slurs to a minimum. He’d have to thank Wooseok over and over for that.

But it didn’t turn out to be a one-time thing. For the rest of the week and the entire week after that, Yuto was constantly flanked by friends. Wooseok even walked him to class whenever he could manage to make their paths cross. It made Yuto feel entirely too important, almost like a burden, and he made sure to tell Wooseok that when the younger boy came over that Friday night to watch anime.

“You’re not a burden, Yuto, shut up.” Wooseok hummed, settling into the pillows on Yuto’s bed comfortably. Yuto was putting his laundry away as he spoke, keeping himself occupied so he wouldn’t pace nervously.

“I’m sure that’s not what the other guy’s think.” Yuto grumbled.

“If they had a problem, they’d tell me. Or you.”

“No, they wouldn’t! They’re not going to talk back to either team captain, Wooseok, that’s just not how things work.” Yuto seemed genuinely bothered and Wooseok took a second to think about it before he immediately shut the other boy down. They were working on communication and understanding each other’s points of view, he wanted to make sure he was being a good friend.

“If it really bothers you, then… I’ll be the only one to tag along with you. You’ll have whoever is with you in your classes but give me thirty seconds to get to your class before you leave, so I can walk with you in the hallways.” Wooseok was serious, but Yuto couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “What?”

“That’s crazy! That’s so out of your way, Wooseok, it’s unnecessary!”

“I don’t care! I have no problem coming to your class if it means that you’ll be safe!”

“I’m not your responsibility!” Yuto shouted back, his cheeks heating up as he raised his voice. He’d never really yelled at someone outside of practice, it felt all too strange. “You don’t have to protect me, I can take care of myself! You’re not my fucking babysitter!”

“No, I’m your friend! And friends take care of each other, Yuto!” Wooseok shot back, standing up to meet Yuto’s eye level. “I’m telling you it’s not a burden to me, let me do this. Please? I’ll feel better knowing that you’re safe.”

“You’re not my mother, you’re not my _boyfriend_, I’m _not_ your responsibility.” Yuto sighed, rubbing his temples. Wooseok stayed silent, still slightly fuming, until Yuto met his eyes again. “But, fine. I’ll wait exactly thirty seconds, but if you’re not there I’m walking to class on my own.”

“Deal.” Wooseok seemed satisfied enough with that and Yuto groaned, pushing Wooseok back towards the bed so he could finish his laundry in peace. Wooseok was still insufferable, Yuto was sure that was never going to change.

-

…_28, 29, 30._ Yuto hummed and stormed out of the classroom confidently, walking faster than usual just to make it that much harder for Wooseok to catch up to him. He couldn’t help the shit-eating grin on his face when he heard the younger boy’s shout.

“Adachi!” Wooseok called and Yuto sped up, laughing when Wooseok caught up to him and swung an arm around his shoulders.

“You’re late.” Yuto hummed.

“Blame Mr. Lee, the dick had to talk to me about my essay. I _made_ it.” Wooseok beamed and Yuto smiled against his will. Wooseok’s happiness had become contagious the second they’d become friends.

“Barely.” Yuto scoffed.

“Wooseok-ssi’s gay too now, huh?” A rough voice called and Wooseok looked over his shoulder at a group of students leaning against their lockers. “I heard being queer is contagious!”

“And what of it?” Wooseok shot back, letting Yuto go to start towards the students. He was tall and he could look scary when he tried, so he relished in the fear on the students faces as they dispersed before he could get too close to them. He made sure they were out of sight before he turned back to Yuto with a confident smile. Yuto just looked queasy. “You okay?” Wooseok took Yuto by the shoulders again and urged him forward, shaking him out of his nervous stupor.

“You probably shouldn’t…” Yuto ducked out from under his arm, putting at least a foot of space between them as they continued walking. Wooseok frowned at him like a petulant child. “Come on, you heard them. People are going to think you’re gay.”

“So?” Wooseok scoffed, crossing his arms. Maybe if everyone thought he was gay, it would be easier to admit it to himself. Because he knew that only his very deep subconscious dared to acknowledge such a thing.

Yuto gave him a look, something curious and suspicious, but he didn’t press the issue as they arrived at his class. “See you later.” Yuto hummed, disappearing into the room without another look. Wooseok made it to his class with just a few seconds to spare and he knew how ridiculous this little plan was going to be, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave Yuto alone. Wooseok had a feeling that Yuto was important – he wasn’t sure how yet, but he could feel it – and he wouldn’t forgive himself if he let someone attack Yuto again.

-

Two weeks of escorting Yuto to class made Wooseok even more indifferent to sly little remarks than he ever thought he’d have to be, and he learned how to walk fast enough to not get in trouble for running. He was getting better as Yuto seemed to be getting worse. “You should stop this. I’m old news now, no one cares.” Yuto hummed after school on a Thursday, clutching his books to his chest. Wooseok just raised a brow. “I heard… it’s just…”

“Come on, I’ll bring you home.” Wooseok tugged Yuto to his car, but instead of turning it on to leave when they were inside, he turned to Yuto. “What did you hear? Are you okay?”

“I heard some people talking, they think… they think you’re my boyfriend or something. If you keep walking me to class, the rumors are only going to get worse.” Yuto frowned, lips pursed as he watched his feet shake nervously on the floor.

“Well, that’s not such a bad thing.” Wooseok shrugged, starting his car. Yuto didn’t say anything for a few long moments as Wooseok pulled out onto the main road, but something was nagging at his mind and he couldn’t stay silent.

“Why the fuck are you so okay with that?” He demanded, nearly startling Wooseok after the long silence. Wooseok frowned and shrugged, as if that was a satisfactory response and Yuto sighed in frustration, leaning against the window with his fingers rubbing his temples. Wooseok was hard to understand sometimes and Yuto was tired of trying for the day. He would have to tell Wooseok not to stay and hangout today, he just needed to take a nap.

“Does it bother _you_?” Wooseok wondered, stopping the car as they pulled into Yuto’s driveway. “I don’t care if people think I’m gay, but if you don’t want them to think you’re with me, I can set them straight. I mean, I get it.”

“That’s not it.” Yuto sighed, letting his head fall back against the headrest. “I just… I thought you’d be upset about it, I don’t want you to be suffering silently because of me.”

“I’m not.”

“Okay.” Yuto sighed, too tired to fight it. “I’m tired, I’m gonna-“

“I think I’m… gay… too. Maybe.” Wooseok spoke softly, freezing Yuto before he could reach the door handle. Yuto settled back into his seat and looked at Wooseok with raised eyebrows, lips pursed curiously.

“Really?”

“I mean… I’ve never really been attracted to anyone before, so I thought I was, like, asexual. Or graysexual, I read about that too. But…” Wooseok heaved a deep breath and gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles were white. “I don’t know. I guess…”

“Sexuality is weird.” Yuto whispered. “You don’t have to try to label yourself, if you don’t want to.” Wooseok looked at him with warm eyes and a soft smile and Yuto felt his heart lurch, like it wanted to leap out of his chest and into Wooseok’s. Yuto had never let himself think about his friend in any way other than that – a friend. He was happy to have this new Wooseok, this new relationship, he refused to ruin it with some silly crush. But… “Wanna come in?”

Wooseok followed Yuto towards the house slowly, but he paused at the base of the few porch stairs, hands in his back pockets. He figured he should have an easy escape route just in case Yuto wanted him to leave after this. Yuto looked at him with a curious brow, leaning on the doorframe to wait for Wooseok to spit it out. “It’s _you_, you know.” Wooseok hummed, kicking at a little rock on the sidewalk to occupy himself.

“What’s me?” Yuto played dumb, the sarcasm dripping in his tone and Wooseok looked up at him with squinted, amused eyes.

“Don’t be an asshole.”

“I was born to be an asshole. _Especially_ to you.” Yuto purred, offering a fond smile.

“You know, I actually think I’m just gonna go home, I have a lot of homework-“

“Jung Wooseok, get your ass over here.” Yuto shouted, making Wooseok laugh as he spun back on his heel, hopping up to the front door. “You’re a dick.” Yuto laughed, cupping Wooseok’s cheeks and pulling him into a soft kiss, lips slotting together like puzzles pieces. Wooseok’s arms snaked around his waist and pulled him close, bodies flush together as their hearts pounded excitedly, noses bumping, heads tilting, tongues pressing fondly together.

“It’s _been_ you, Wooseok.” Yuto hummed, resting his forehead against Wooseok’s gently. “From the start, you know.”

**Author's Note:**

> I def meant for this to be longer and more angsty, but it took a turn for the cute and i wasn't going to ruin it. what can i say, i prefer happy endings
> 
> (epilogue hopefully coming soon)
> 
> comments/kudos are so very wonderful
> 
> tumblr: lol-hobi  
twitter: b_t_s_huimang


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